Psalm 127:3–5

 

Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.

Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

Sooner or later every one of us comes to realize that of all the human relationships in life, and indeed in all the temporal pursuits undertaken in a mortal world, nothing is as rewarding as life with and the love of our family. Children truly are “an heritage of the Lord.” Most parents feel great joy in their children most of the time. But when circumstances go awry, children can also be the source of their parents’ greatest pain.

We teach that God is our Father and that we are His offspring, His spiritual children. This eternal perspective on and affection for the concept of family adds to the significance of our earthly relationships. God wants to bless us as we want to bless our children. He weeps and worries about us, as we weep and worry about our children. Truly we get an education in being more godlike when we bring children into the world and see them as the “heritage of the Lord” that they are.

Sometimes in mortal life, with its various physical limitations and emotional challenges, families are not always calm and contented. But with the eternal understanding the gospel gives, we know they can and eventually will be. Trust God when children wander. They are still yours and they are still His. They are “an heritage of the Lord.”

Happiness at home is truly the greatest happiness of all. Keep giving your love to your children—just the way God keeps giving His love to you. Happy will be the man and woman who hath a “quiver full” of such arrows—even if they weren’t always straight arrows and no matter how challenging they might have been in their growing-up years!